A Different Perspective

Indian River By Air’s Massung family shares the natural beauty of this enchanting place where we live.

by mary Beth Vallar - Photography by Indian River by Air

If you believe Indian River County is paradise – as many of us do – then you know of the natural beauty in its 26 miles of unspoiled beaches, its island-dotted lagoon, its myriad wildlife, its acres of green citrus groves stretching west, north and south. Seeing it all live or through the lens of a camera at ground level is how most of us view the landscape. However, seeing its majesty from above gives a different perspective; one that few can enjoy – until now.

Indian River by Air is a local family-run operation that puts ever-changing aerial views of the county’s unique and scenic vistas as close as your computer or mobile device. Log onto the Indian River by Air website and take in what pilot John Massung aloft in his powered parachute sees. Flying at about 27 miles per hour with his digital camera on sport mode, he captures amazing images: white pelicans flying over the Indian River Lagoon, schooling sharks offshore, turtle tracks along Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, a giant manta ray off the coast of Sebastian Inlet or a morning mist covering precise rows of citrus trees as far as the eye can see. It’s John’s way of sharing what he sees as he soars from 400 to 1,200 feet above ground or water from about 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. most days as long as the weather cooperates.

He has been flying since 2008; and it was his daughter, Elaine, who got him started. While visiting her parents from her home in England, she took her first ride in a powered parachute and loved it. “I came back with a smile that lasted all day,” she remembers. Then her parents decided to give it a go and had the same reaction. Soon after, John earned a sport pilot license, bought a powered parachute of his own and took off with a camera in hand to enjoy what he says is the first hobby he’s ever had.

This article appears in the February 2016 issue of Vero Beach Magazine